Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (Антон Павлович Чехов) (1860-1904) Presentation by Anna Kadnikova

Anton Chekhov “Medicine is my legal wife…Literature is my mistress” Physician Major Russian short story writer Playwright

Early Years and Literature Mother – excellent storyteller School life –gained a reputation for: satyrical comments, making up humorous nicknames Wrote his own anecdotes and funny stories in adolescence

Early Years and Theater Took part in amateur theatrical performances First performance attended – Jacques Offenbach’s La Belle Helene Spent virtually all his savings on tickets to theater! First serious long play– “Fatherless” (“Безотцовщина”) (destroyed)

Medicine, Prose and Drama Medical School at Moscow State University 1883 – resigns due to sickness. Devotes the rest of his life to literature Mainly wrote short stories – they are considered the apotheosis of form Playwrighting career – brief – but had a great impact on dramatic literature and performance

Major Plays The Seagull («Чайка») Uncle Vanya («Дядя Ваня») Three Sisters («Три сестры») The Cherry Orchard («Вишнёвый сад»)

The Seagull The first of four major plays. Centers on the romantic and artistic conflicts between four theatrical characters. First perfomance – a famous failure Staged by Stanislavsky – sound success

The Cherry Orchard Family of impoverished nobles whose beautiful cherry orchard (which they are attached to) is heavily mortgaged Characters seek to find a way of saving the garden but cease to do so. Merchant Lopakhin (his ancestors were serfs) buys the garden and “lays an axe to it”

The Cherry Orchard Lopakhin: “Lay the axe to the orchard! Come and see the trees fall down!” Trophimov: “All Russia is our orchard!” New Epoch is Coming. Romanticism gives a way to Commercialism. The Past is never to return. Chekhov’s attitude: pessimistic or optimistic? – still causes arguments.

Uncle Vanya Structurally and psychologically complex drama Estate in 19th century Russia Exploring complex relationships between people Themes of weakness, delusion and despair, but courage and hope as well

The Three Sisters Decay of the privileged class in Russia Search for meaning in the modern world Family that is dissatisfied and frustrated with its present existence

Chekhov’s Talent and Manner Selecting important moments from the trivial ones Brevity and conciseness Anti-ideological Anti-pedagogical Objectivity Free artist

Chekhov’s Talent and Manner No blame for anybody Acute delineation of human weaknesses and delights, of human psychology Naturalist of the theater Delineation of ordinary characters Exceptional importance of dialogue (What is said is more important that what is done!)

Chekhov and Stanislavsky collaborators – both paid closer attention to the important unsaid messages within the writing Chekhov by many is acknowledged as someone who made Stanislavsky’s Theater famous Some arguments. E.g., Cherry Orchard – comedy(Chekhov) or drama (Stanislavsky)?

Chekhov About His Plays “You say you have cried at my plays…But this is not why I wrote them, it was Stanislavsky who turned them into cry-babies.I simply wanted to say to people honestly: “Understand, how bad and boring your lives are!” People should understand this and…create themselves another and better life. What is here to cry about?”

Chekhov’s Impact and Influence Contemporary Russians celebrated Chekhov International fame – after World War I (Constance Garnett’s English translations) Immensely popular in the UK in the 1920s In the US – fame came later (through the influence of Stanislavsky’s method) Many writers and playwrights used Chekhovian techniques throughout the XX century, almost none escaped his influence

Films and Theater Productions Among many others: - Lanford Wilson’s “The Three Sisters”(1997) Emil Loteanu’s “My Tender and Affectionate Beast”(Мой ласковый и нежный зверь)(1978) Nikita Mikhalkov’s “Dark Eyes”(1987)

Sources Anton Chekhov – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Chekhov “Three Plays of Absurd” Anton Chekhov Available at http://www.theatrehistory.com/russian/chekhov001.html The Social Significance of the Modern Drama. Emma Goldman. Boston: Richard G. Badger, 1914. pp. 290-3. ANTON CHEKHOV. available at http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/clsc6.htm Chekhov’s Quotes. Available at http://www.notable-quotes.com/c/chekhov_anton.html «Антон Павлович Чехов» Энциклопедия «Аванта+» «Русская литература». Москва, 1998